Most kids are big fans of peanut butter, making peanut butter sandwiches common foods in households with children. However, it can be difficult to decide when to start feeding this food to your kids given that peanuts are one of the more allergenic foods. Expert advice varies, and has changed over the years, as the experts try to determine the best way to limit peanut allergies.
Benefits
Besides being an acceptable food to many picky eaters, peanut butter is a concentrated source of both calories and nutrients, which is important when feeding babies and young children, who have small stomachs. Just 2 tbsp. of peanut butter contain 190 calories, 8g of protein and 15g of fat, most of which is the healthy unsaturated kind. This serving also contains iron, zinc, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, phosphorus and magnesium.
Considerations
Chunks or globs of peanut butter can be a choking hazard, so children under 3 years old should only be served smooth peanut butter thinly spread on bread or crackers, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Warning
Children with peanut allergies should never be given peanut butter. Those with an increased risk for this type of allergy, including those with a family history of allergies and those who have been diagnosed with other allergies, should not be introduced to peanuts until they are 3 years old, according to KeepKidsHealthy.com.
Misconceptions
Doctors used to advise parents not to feed babies and young children peanut butter to limit the risk of developing allergies. However, the Mayo Clinic states that as of 2010 there is no convincing evidence that delaying the introduction of these foods in children without an increased risk of food allergies will lessen their chances of developing a peanut allergy.
Expert Insight
Babies under 6 months old should not be given peanut butter. The Food Standards Agency of the UK advises parents to wait until their babies are at least 6 months old to introduce peanut butter, and to do so in small amounts the first time while watching for any signs of a peanut allergy. KeepKidsHealthy.com recommends introducing peanut butter any time after the baby is 8 or 9 months old, and the American Academy of Pediatrics mentions peanut butter as an option for feeding a 1-year-old child.
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